Tuesday, August 12, 2008

CNN Doubles U.S. Newsgathering Presence with Expansion into 10 Cities

CNN Pressroom - CNN plans to double its domestic newsgathering presence with new operations in 10 U.S. cities, resulting in an aggressive expansion of its newsgathering in the United States, it was announced today by Nancy Lane, senior vice president of newsgathering for CNN/U.S.

The new operations will be based in Columbus, Ohio; Denver; Houston; Las Vegas; Minneapolis, Minn.; Orlando, Fla.; Philadelphia; Phoenix; Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; and Seattle. This expansion will also allow CNN to build stronger partnerships with affiliates in new and existing locations across the country. CNN already has bureaus in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, New Orleans, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

The newly expanded newsgathering operation will be staffed with a mix of traditional general assignment reporters with CNN’s current roster of “show-based correspondents,” who are attached to many of CNN’s daytime and prime-time programs, and newly designated “all-platform journalists.” All-platform journalists will combine new technologies with traditional journalism skills to gather news from the heart of America for all CNN’s networks and services, especially CNN’s growing digital platforms.

“CNN’s rapid adoption of new technology over the years put us in the enviable position to be able to expand at a time when others are cutting back,” Lane said. “Our technological innovations allow our reporters to be at the center of more breaking news events and developing stories across the United States, with greater independence and mobility than ever before. This expansion is a critical component of CNN Worldwide’s overall strategy for increased content ownership.”

By creating and harnessing the latest award-winning newsgathering and broadcast technology, CNN has consistently outpaced its rivals domestically and overseas. CNN’s most recent development of technology in newsgathering includes the use of lightweight kits that combine cameras, editing tools and advanced satellite and Internet communications technology into a laptop-based system. This suite of technologies enable CNN’s journalists to employ immediate live and video FTP submissions, real-time content monitoring, editing and voice communication from anywhere in the field.

CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media.